The Independent Newspaper Serving Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s Volume 45: Issue 68
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Ndsmcobserver.com
McCormick announces charity concert Abroad By SAM STRYKER News Editor
Saint Patrick’s Day is commonly perceived as a celebration of all things Irish, a reason to drink Guinness and wear green. But student body president Pat McCormick wants to remind the world of the true meaning of the holiday — and in a big way. Looking to deliver on one of their major campaign goals — to bring a large charity concert to Notre Dame Stadium — McCormick said David Clark Cause (DCC), an internationally renowned events company, has worked with the University to create a proposal for a major social concerns experience. The event is tentatively titled “3.17,” in honor of Saint Patrick’s Day. Though the University first received a letter proposing to develop such an event from DCC in May, McCormick said a firm outline developed over winter break. “This has been [a result] of months and months of contact,” McCormick said. “We
students ret u r n
have submitted a proposal to the University and so far the response has been very positive.” The concept of the event is centered on “reclaiming” Saint Patrick’s Day as a celebration of peace and reconciliation, and would be held in partnership with the Republic of Ireland. “The Irish government has an interest in trying to direct attention to the day itself as not just a celebration of Ireland, but Saint Patrick and trying to draw out what that means,” McCormick said. To focus on the themes of peace and reconciliation, McCormick said the proposed 3.17 event would have three components. The centerpiece event would be what McCormick had promised as a major aspect of his campaign platform, a largescale charity concert. The 3.17 Global Peace Concert, broadcast from Notre Dame and a venue in Dublin, Ireland. McCormick said renowned bands
By NICOLE TOCZAUER News Writer
Juniors who studied abroad in the fall left behind afternoon siestas, weekend trips and sunny weather to return to a snowy semester at Notre Dame. For many of these students, a large aspect of the study abroad experience was learning outside the classroom. Junior Carl Brinker said when he arrived in Dublin, Ireland, the cultural divide was not as great as he expected. “There were definitely things to get used to — the accent, cars on the other side of the road, learning the bus system — but ultimately I had more in common with my Irish peers than I thought I would,” Brinker said. “We listened to a lot of the same music, watched the same TV shows and spoke mostly the same language.”
see CONCERT/page 6
LISA HOEYNCK I The Observerr
see ABROAD/page 5
Fans enjoy bowl game despite loss to Florida State By DAN BROMBACH News Writer
A day f illed with excitement and warm weather was capped with stunning disappointment for Notre Dame fans as the Irish fell to Florida State, 18-14 in the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, Fla. on Dec. 29. Despite a sizeable presence of Notre Dame fans, the proximity of the game to the Florida State campus in Tallahassee, Fla. gave the Semi-
noles an advantage on the f ield, freshman Taylor Gillig, who attended the game, said. “It still felt like a Florida State home game at times,” Gillig said. “Our team def initely managed to take the FSU fans out of it early on, but as the momentum shifted in the second half they made it pretty obvious that we were outnumbered.” A fter the Irish took a 14-0 lead early in the third quar
see REACTION/page 6
COURTNEY ECKERLE / The Observer
Notre Dame fans cheer on the Irish during their 18 - 14 loss to Florida State in the Champs Sports Bowl on Dec. 29. The atmosphere was exciting despite the Irish defeat.
Notre Dame early application pool remains competitive By ABI HOVERMAN News Writer
LISA HOEYNCK I The Observer
Inside today’s paper
For high school students hoping to walk Notre Dame’s campus as one of the Fighting Irish, the realization of their dreams continues to get more difficult. This year’s Early Action applicant pool continued Notre Dame’s trend of increased academic and personal excellence, with 300 more prospective students applying than the year before. Don Bishop, associate vice president for Undergraduate
Enrollment, said the selection was even more competitive for the larger pool of 5,556 applicants, who were notified of their status Dec. 15. The University accepted and deferred a similar number to last year, and thus had to decline more prospective students a spot. Bishop credits the 6 percent increase in applications to the University’s more personalized and rigorous recruitment efforts, including a redesigned viewbook and brochure materials, along with an updated website. He said Notre Dame focused on these efforts in re-
sponse to a trend of top universities increasingly courting potential students. “We have increased our interaction with interested students and their parents. The staff, faculty, students and alumni in local areas are more active. It’s been a team effort,” Bishop said. “Notre Dame’s increase of recruitment was not only something that we wanted, but something that was necessary to make the admissions experience more personal for the prospective
see EARLY/page 5
Alternative winter breaks page 3 u Viewpoint page 8 u Best dressed at the Golden Globes page 10 u Swarbrick discusses athletic department page 20
The Observer u Day-to-Day
page 2 | ndsmcobserver.com
Question
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Day: What’s your favorite thing about being back on campus?
of the
www.ndsmcobserver.com P.O. Box 779, Notre Dame, IN 46556 024 South Dining Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556
Editor-in-Chief Douglas Farmer Managing Editor Business Manager Sarah Mervosh Jeff Liptak Asst. Managing Editor: Asst. Managing Editor: News Editor: Viewpoint Editor: Sports Editor: Scene Editor: Saint Mary’s Editor: Photo Editor: Graphics Editor: Advertising Manager: Ad Design Manager: Controller: Systems Administrator:
Adriana Pratt Chris Masoud Sam Stryker Meghan Thomassen Allan Joseph Maija Gustin Caitlin E. Housley Pat Coveney Brandon Keelean Katherine Lukas Amanda Jonovski Jason Taulman William Heineman
Amity Wipson
Ariel Etienne
Ashley Lawrence
Cate Ryan
Max Wipson
Shannon Sullivan
freshman Breen-Phillips
freshman Pasquerilla East
sophomore Farley
senior Pasquerilla West
sophomore Knott
sophomore Cavanaugh
“Having something productive to do again.”
“The snow.”
“Seeing friends and squirrels.”
“The snow and wet feet.”
“Starting new classes.”
“Being with friends again.”
Office Manager & General Info
(574) 631-7471 Fax
(574) 631-6927
Have an idea for Question of the Day? Email obsphoto@gmail.com
Advertising
(574) 631-6900 observad@nd.edu
In Brief
Editor-in-Chief
(574) 631-4542 dfarmer1@nd.edu Managing Editor
The Department of Physics will host Physics Colloquium with Dr. Nicholas Michel from the University of Tennessee who will discuss the unification of structure and reaction models for the study of weakly bound and resonant systems. It will be held in 118 Nieuwland Science Hall at 4 p.m. today.
(574) 631-4542 smervosh@nd.edu Assistant Managing Editors
(574) 631-4541 apratt@nd.edu, cmasoud@nd.edu Business Office
(574) 631-5313 News Desk
(574) 631-5323 obsnews.nd@gmail.com Viewpoint Desk
(574) 631-5303 obsviewpoint@gmail.com Sports Desk
(574) 631-4543 observersports@gmail.com Scene Desk
(574) 631-4540 mgustin@nd.edu Saint Mary’s Desk
chousl01@saintmarys.edu Photo Desk
(574) 631-8767 obsphoto@gmail.com Systems & Web Administrators
(574) 631-8839 Policies The Observer is the independent, daily newspaper published in print and online by the students of the University of Notre Dame du Lac and Saint Mary’s College. Editorial content, including advertisements, is not governed by policies of the administration of either institution. The Observer reserves the right to refuse advertisements based on content. The news is reported as accurately and objectively as possible. Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the majority of the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, Assistant Managing Editors and department editors. Commentaries, letters and columns present the views of the authors and not necessarily those of The Observer. Viewpoint space is available to all readers. The free expression of all opinions through letters is encouraged. Letters to the Editor must be signed and must include contact information. Question regarding Observer policies should be directed to Editor-in-Chief Douglas Farmer. Post Office Information The Observer (USPS 599 2-4000) is published Monday through Friday except during exam and vacation periods. A subscription to The Observer is $130 for one academic year; $75 for one semester. The Observer is published at: 024 South Dining Hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-0779 Periodical postage paid at Notre Dame and additional mailing offices
POSTMASTER Send address corrections to: The Observer P.O. Box 779 024 South Dining hall Notre Dame, IN 46556-077
The Observer is a member of the Associated Press. All reproduction rights are reserved.
Today’s Staff News
Sam Stryker Anna Boarini Brooke Kovanda
Graphics
Lisa Hoeynck
Photo
Sarah O’Connor
Sports
Sam Gans Kelsey Manning Mike Monaco
JULIE HERDER/The Observer
The Notre Dame band marches in the parade before the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, Fla., on Dec. 29. Luck did not favor the Irish, however, as they lost 18-14 to the Florida State Seminoles.
Offbeat Fly with golden booty named after Beyonce
CANBERRA, Australia — A newly discovered horse f ly in Australia was so “bootylicious” with its golden-haired bum, there was only one name worthy of its beauty: Beyonce. Previously published results from Bryan Lessard, a 24-year-old researcher at Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, were recently announced on the species that had been sitting in a f ly collection since it was captured in 1981 — the same year pop diva Beyonce was born. He says he wanted to pay respect to the insect’s
beauty by naming it Scaptia (Plinthina) beyonceae. Lessard said Beyonce would be “in the nature history books forever” and that the f ly now bearing her name is “pretty bootylicious” with its golden backside.
Wis. man arrested for playing too much cowbell
OSHKOSH, Wis. — Demonstrators calling for the recall of Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker learned there really is such a thing as too much cowbell. Oshkosh police arrested a 26-year-old Appleton man on Thursday after he kept playing a cowbell and shaking it in an officer’s face when he and other
protesters were told to be quiet. The Oshkosh Northwestern reports that when the officer tried to take the cowbell, the man pushed the officer. A 25-year-old Appleton woman then hit the officer in the back with her picket sign while the man was being handcuffed. Both were taken to the Winnebago County Jail after the incident. Police will recommend that the man be charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest and the woman be charged with disorderly conduct and battery to an officer. Information compiled from the Associated Press.
RecSports will be hosting the Try a Trainer event at Rolfs Sports Recreation Center. Meet the RecSports Personal Training staff during their free drop-in session beginning 4:15 p.m. today. Experience each trainer to get an sense of their personality and unique training styles for five to ten minutes. The Snite Museum of Art will host the lecture “Rousseau and Human Rights” as part of the lecture series: “Rousseau 2012 and Dignity: Are We Just Yet?.” The speaker will be Christie McDonald of Harvard University. The event runs from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. today in the Annenberg Auditorium and is free and open to the public. A reception follows this event. The 2012 Notre Dame Student Film Festival will return Thursday for its 23rd year. The festival screens films made in past years by undergraduates in film studies at Notre Dame. It will be held in the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center and cost is $6 adult, $5 faculty/ staff, $4 senior, $3 student/ child. To submit information to be included in this section of The Observer, email detailed information about an event to obsnews.nd@gmail.com
Scene
Mary Claire O’Donnell
Viewpoint Meghan Thomassen
Local Weather today
Tonight
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
High 28 Low 21
High 23 Low 21
High 27 Low 15
High 22 Low 12
High 25 Low 24
High 40 Low 31
Corrections The Observer regards itself as a professional publication and strives for the highest standards of journalism at all times. We do, however, recognize that we will make mistakes. If we have made a mistake, please contact us at (574) 631-4541 so we can correct our error.
The Observer u News
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
ndsmcobserver.com | page 3
Students conduct research and serve over winter break By TOR I ROECK News Writer
W h ile many Notre Dame students spent w inter break catch ing up on rest and relaxation, others traveled the world, performed serv ice projects or fu rthered career ambitions. Sen ior K ik i Gelke spent a week in Poland on a g rant from the Nanov ic Institute of European Studies. W h ile in Poland, Gelke said she conducted research for her capstone essay on Catholicism in modern Poland, a requ irement for her Eu ropean Studies m inor. Gelke said she spent the f irst part of her trip stay ing at a convent outside K rakow, and then tou red famous rel ig ious landmarks in K rakow and Lu bin, where she saw Poland’s relig ious in f luences on display. Poland is the frontier between the Catholicism of Western Eu rope and the Orthodox faith of Eastern Eu rope. Gelke said. These in f luences were very prevalent. Gelke said her favorite part of the trip was celebrating the Feast of the Epiphany in K rakow. “In Poland, the Feast of the Epiphany is a huge rel ig ious day,” Gelke said. “The dinner was incredible and f illed w ith traditional Pol ish Christmas carols, the breaking of the traditional opłatek bread w ith good w ishes and blessings to all present in the year to come, and of cou rse, traditional Pol ish food.” Sen ior Adam Cowden went to Botswana for 10 days to do research for h is sen ior
thesis w ith funding from the Center for Underg raduate Scholarly Engagement and the Gly n n Fam ily Honors Prog ram. Cowden said h is thesis topic explores the role of Social Secu rity and welfare institutions in fam ily plann ing decisions. “I travel led there to conduct interv iews w ith indiv iduals about their attitudes toward social security and fam i ly plan n ing and to collect data from various govern ment departments,” Cowden said. Cowden said the data he col lected in Botswana prov ided strong material for fu rther developing h is thesis. “Now I have a lot to w rite about,” he said. Sophomore Brendan Moran participated in Urban Plunge, a one-credit sem inar sponsored by the Center for Social Concerns (CSC) in wh ich students spend two days of their w inter break exploring u rban poverty in a major city, according to the CSC website. “W h i le I was on my Urban Plunge, I was able to directly ser ve the impoverished commun ity of south Boston, ref lect on my experiences, and ask the important questions su rrou nding u rban poverty,” Moran said. Moran said he and other Notre Dame students lived and volu nteered at the non-prof it organ ization My Brother’s Keeper, where they slept in a warehouse at n ight and del ivered food and furn iture directly to the needy during the day. “I had a g reat time on Ur-
Photo courtsey of Kiki Gelke
Senior Kiki Gelke spent her break researching modern Polish Catholicism for her capstone essay. During her trip to Poland, she visited the Marian Shrine in Kalwaria. ban Plunge,” Moran said. “I was able to get out of my comfort zone and participate in a cause that I tru ly believe in. I met some amazing people along the way, and I feel that my experience rev italized my morale and spirits, wh ich in turn prepared me for another long semester.” Sophomore Carol ine Ramsey did a one-day job shadow in New York City, sponsored by the Career Center, wh ich pairs up Notre Dame students w ith alumn i in appropriate f ields.
Through the prog ram, an editor at a ch i ldren’s book publish ing company mentored Ramsey. “She answered the questions that I had and taught me a lot about the f ield of publish ing,” Ramsey said. Ramsey said participating in the prog ram made her feel conf ident she wants to pursue a career in publ ishing. “I hadn’t real ized that work ing as an editor cou ld integ rate my interest in w riting and desig n,” she
said. “It combines creativ ity and business in an exciting way.” Ramsey also said experiencing of f ice l ife f irsthand was worthwh i le. “Reading about a career or even talk ing to someone in that career is obv iously very helpfu l,” she said. “Fu l ly entering into an of f ice and being able to participate in the dai ly activ ities of that of f ice is invaluable.” Contact Tori Roeck at troeck@nd.edu
The Observer u News
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
ndsmcobserver.com | page 5
Peace activist speaks at College Abroad By REBECCA O’NEIL News Writer
Even as the country annually celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s namesake with a holiday, Americans are betraying the vision of King, Kroc Institute scholar and peace activist Rashied Omar said in a lecture at Saint Mary’s on Tuesday. King took a firm stand against racism, materialism and militarism, Omar said. “[He was] an American prophet. He was a patriot even if others could not see it,” Omar said. “He thought that if the U.S. changed itself, it had a tremendous potential to spread good.” Omar said many of King’s hopes for the world have not been realized in the decades following his death. “If Martin Luther King was alive today, he would want us to be on the right side of the worldwide revolution of values,” he said. “It is time to stop thinking about who killed Martin, but who is killing Martin’s dream.” Omar said society of-
ten places value in largely inconsequential matters, which is the opposite of what King preached. “We are a ‘thing-oriented’ society, but we need to become a ‘person-oriented’ society,” Omar said. Omar also said King’s dream of peace is ignored by the American government. “[King wanted] war money to put food in the wrinkled stomachs of God’s children,” he said. “[America] spends more on military than the next 12 countries combined. This is spiritual death.” Each year, the sitting president commemorates King, lays a wreath on his grave, and goes right back to war the next day, Omar said. “There is a street in every town named after him, but people’s actions today betray Martin’s vision, kill the dream,” he said. King recognized America needed a revival of spirit, Omar said. “He wanted to redeem the soul of America and have the country act as a responsible member of the world com-
munity,” he said. Omar said K ing would recognize many societal norms worthy of challenging. “Today we see legalized prejudices against many minorities, the Hispanic community and gays and lesbians,” he said. Omar noted modern prophets exist today, such as Nelson Mandela and A rchbishop Desmond Tutu, who recognize points in society worthy of change. “[They are] the moral conscience of society, not only electing leaders but holding them accountable,” he said. “They challenged the injustice of the status quo.” When Barack Obama ran for president, he campaigned on a platform containing aspects of a modern prophet, Omar said. “[He highlighted] the move towards change, we needed hope,” he said. “When he came to power however, the movement retired.” Contact Rebecca O’Neil at roneil01@saintmarys.edu
continued from page 1 He said his living situation at the University College Dublin (UCD) deviated from the Notre Dame norm. Students lived in sixperson coed apartments with international and Irish students. “I lived with a Canadian and four other Irish [students]. It was a lot of fun to experience a living situation that would never happen at ND,” he said. “There were co-ed dorms and the apocalypse didn’t happen, fancy that.” Along with rooming, Brinker said classes challenged him in a different way than those he had taken at Notre Dame. He said classes at UCD consisted of large lectures with no tutorials. “While the material covered was similar to what would be taught at ND, grading was quite a bit harsher,” Brinker said. “What was perhaps the most challenging was the fact that final exams counted for nearly all of the course grade.” Junior Rachel Pilla, who studied abroad in Rome, said her living situation and classes also differed from her previous semesters at Notre Dame. “You’d think [living with eight other girls] might get really crowded, but there was plenty of space and since we all got along really well we never had any liv-
Early continued from page 1 applicants.” Bob Mundy, director of Admissions, said this increased attention to applicants led to a record number of prospective students visiting campus in 2011. “This is the first year we’ve had 10,000 students visit the University,” Mundy said. Beyond the increased number of applicants, Bishop said this year’s Early Action pool continued the trend of being intellectually qualified. “The quality of the pool is at least equal to any year we’ve ever had,” he said. “We continue to have such a strong pool of applicants that it allows us to continue to value attributes along with academic strength.” The Admissions Office also saw more international applications than ever, with similar increases in European, African, Asian and Latin American students, Bishop said. “We are seeing increases in each of the regions in the world. Notre Dame is intentionally increasing our global reach,” he said. Increased travel by admissions counselors, who work outside the U.S. 10 weeks each year, and the resources and momentum provided by the Office of Internationalization have encouraged this trend. Mundy said Notre Dame also has a tradition of national diversity. “More of our students come from farther away to attend Notre Dame than any other top research university, with more than 80 percent of students coming from farther than a four-hour drive,” he said. Bishop said this year’s pool appears more diverse than previous years’. “We’re notably up in [applications of ] U.S. students of color,” he said. Two statistics that remained
ing issues,” she said. Pilla said traveling on the weekends to other cities and countries was the best part about studying abroad. She said her favorite weekend trip was to Dublin, where she met up with Brinker. “We had a great tour of the Guinness Factory, went to Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, ate some hearty Irish dishes and, of course, went to all the best Irish pubs,” she said. Junior Patty Walsh said living in Fremantle, Australia, gave her a chance to step outside of her comfort zone. “I learned a lot about myself while abroad, and I feel like I matured a lot,” she said. “Anyone thinking about studying abroad absolutely should do so, but probably needs to start saving up.” Brinker said he became more confident and independent while studying abroad. He said planning ahead helped him make the most of his time there. “Don’t be afraid to take risks and wing it on occasion. Those are often the best, and occasionally terrifying, moments of studying abroad.” Pilla said as much as she enjoyed studying abroad, she is excited to be studying in America again. “As much as I loved Rome, there really is no place like Notre Dame,” she said. Contact Nicole Toczauer at ntoczaue@nd.edu
steady, however, were the number of applicants who were legacy students and the number of students taking college level courses in high school, Mundy said. “The legacy application pool is one of the most consistent figures. We are within 13 applications of last year,” he said. With the increasing academic quality of each pool, Bishop said high test scores and a high GPA do not guarantee applicants a spot at Notre Dame. He said intellectual curiosity, creativity, leadership, service and special talents valued by the University play an increasingly important role in admissions. “Half of the students in the top 1 percent of the nation in class performance or national testing will likely gain admission, and half will not. A third of the applicants are highability students, but not in this top 1 percent,” Bishop said. “However, their personal attributes and intellectual drive are so exceptional that they gain a spot in the class.” Bishop said a student who demonstrates a special commitment and devotion over the high school years to an academic area in some form of research or hobbies would stand out to the Admissions committee. “In these cases, a student with a devotion to a specific intellectual field that has established a provable record of productive talent will gain attention [in admissions],” he said. The consideration of Early Action and regular applicants this spring goes beyond numbers, Bishop said, as Notre Dame’s admissions process is much more personal than plugging statistics into an algorithm. “We spend 20,000 plus hours reading, debating and discussing applications,” Bishop said. Contact Abi Hoverman at ahoverma@nd.edu
The Observer u News
page 6 | ndsmcobserver.com
Concert continued from page 1 venue in Dublin, Ireland. McCormick said renowned bands from across the world would be invited to perform for a live streaming global broadcast. Prior to the concert, the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies would host the 3.17 Global Summit on Peace & Resolution. McCormick said dignitaries and celebrities would meet to discuss conflict resolution and reconciliation on both a grass roots and global scale. “The idea would be [this event] would be a substantive dimension to the day itself,” he said. In addition to the planned summit, Notre Dame would host the 3.17 Peace Prize, celebrating ordinary people who have become extraordinary through pursuit of peace. “The prizewinner would be potentially selected by living Nobel Laureates who would like to submit their votes for the three finalists,” McCormick said. McCormick said he is particularly excited about who the University is working with on this event. DCC is a company solely dedicated to creating cause initiatives for renowned organizations, brands and individuals around the world. “What I think we are really excited about is this is an internationally recognized consultant, and he has taken an interest in collaborating with Notre Dame on producing a signature human rights event,” McCormick said. Though the event has no firm date, McCormick said, as de-
Reaction
signed, the event could be sustainable, with the possibility of becoming a Notre Dame tradition. He said in terms of planning the first installment, the ball is now in the University’s court. “What’s most likely is questions like the date or the artists that would attend would be decided by the University,” McCormick said. McCormick said he is particularly excited for the event as he feels it displays a new form of student government he has hoped to achieve. “When we campaigned, this was in many ways at the heart of our idea of trying to find a way for students to chart a course for Notre Dame,” he said. “We felt students here wanted to not just have a student government that would provide only constituent services, but would also allow students to play a role in charting the course for the Notre Dame project and writing a new chapter in Notre Dame’s history.” McCormick also noted the fact that student government is the driving force behind the proposal is a significant achievement within the University community. “Not only have we advocated for the event, but we have obtained the means for the University to pursue the event,” he said. Though the event is pending approval, McCormick said ultimately it could benefit the entire University community. “We think it is a significant proposal and would be a significant opportunity for Notre Dame to pursue,” he said. Contact Sam Stryker at sstryker@nd.edu
fans were pleased with the civility of the Florida State fans. “For the most part, peocontinued from page 1 ple didn’t say anything to ter, Notre Dame fans could do us about being from Notre nothing, but watch as Florida Dame,” junior Caitlyn KosciState scored 18 unanswered elski said. “A fter the Michipoints to win, turning the gan game, the atmosphere mood in the stands from one was way more tense. People were screaming things at us. of enthusiasm to frustration. Gillig related the emotions It was scary.” Despite a Notre Dame loss, in the stands to Michigan the bowl game was still an loss earlier in the season. “In the second half, it overall positive experience started to look like the Mich- for many of those who atigan game all over again,” tended. “Even though the end of the he said. “It felt like we just game didn’t didn’t have go as we the drive to had hoped it f inish the didn’t ruin game.” “The game definitely things for J u s t i n exposed our weaknesses, us,” junior Cullen, a but it also showed how Ellen Carroll senior manfar along our defense has said. “We ager for come ... that gives me still had a lot the football hope for the future. ” of fun.” team, said Cullen also watching ack nowlfrom the Taylor Gillig edged disapsidelines freshman pointment at was an emothe loss but tional rollsaid he had ercoaster. “It was really exciting to fun attending the game. “The team put up a good be down there when the team made a big play like f ight, and it would have been Zeke (Motta’s) fumble return nice to win but it was still for a touchdown, but things just fun to be a part of it all,” def initely got intense when Cullen said. Despite the less than perthings started not going so fect performance by the well,” he said. Despite the loss, the warm Irish, the bowl did manage weather was a welcome relief to motivate fans to a positive for many Notre Dame fans outlook for next season. “The game def initely exwho took advantage of the Florida sun to tailgate and posed our weaknesses, but enjoy the other bowl game it also showed how far along our defense has come,” Gillig festivities. “It was def initely nice to get said. “That gives me hope for a week of 70 degree weather the future.” when it was snowing back in Contact Dan Brombach at South Bend,” Cullen said. Following the game, many dbrambac @nd.edu
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
LONDON Summer Study Abroad Program Information Meetings Thursday, January 19 7:00pm in 120 DeBartolo Hall Tuesday, January 31 5:15pm in 119 DeBartolo Hall For more information, visit the Office of International Studies website at www.nd.edu/~ois.
The Observer u News
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
ndsmcobserver.com | page 7
Wikipedia shuts down for 24 hours in protest Associated Press NEW YORK — Ca n t he world l ive w it hout Wi k iped ia for a day? The pla n ned shutdow n of one of t he I nter net’s most-v isited sites is not sit t i ng wel l w it h some of its volu nteer ed itors, who say t he protest of a nt i-pi racy leg islat ion cou ld t h reaten t he cred i bi l it y of t hei r work. “My ma i n concer n is t hat it puts t he orga n izat ion i n t he role of advocacy, a nd t hat’s a sl ipper y slope,” sa id ed itor Rober t Law ton, a M ich iga n computer consu lta nt who wou ld prefer t hat t he encycloped ia st ick to bei ng a neut ra l repositor y of k nowledge. “Before we k now it, we’re blacked out because we wa nt to save t he wha les.” Wi k iped ia w i l l shut dow n access to its Engl ish-la ng uage site for 24 hou rs beg i n n i ng at m id n ight Easter n Sta nda rd Ti me on Tuesday. Instead of encycloped ia a rt icles, v isitors w i l l see i nfor mat ion a bout t he t wo cong ressiona l bi l ls a nd deta i ls a bout how to reach law ma kers. It is t he f i rst t i me t he Engl ish site has been blacked out. Wi k iped ia’s Ita l ia n site ca me dow n once br ief ly i n protest to a n Inter net censorsh ip bi l l put for wa rd by t he Berluscon i gover n ment. The bi l l d id not adva nce. The shutdow n adds to a g row i ng body of cr it ics who a re spea k i ng out aga i nst t he leg islat ion. But some ed itors a re so u neasy w it h t he move t hat t hey have blacked out t hei r ow n user prof i le pages or resig ned t hei r ad m i n is-
t rat ive r ights on t he site to protest. Some l i kened t he site’s decision to f ight i ng censorsh ip w it h censorsh ip. One of t he site’s ow n “f ive pi l la rs” of conduct says t hat Wi k iped ia “is w r it ten f rom a neut ra l poi nt of v iew.” The site st r ives to “avoid advocacy, a nd we cha racterize i n for mat ion a nd issues rat her t ha n debate t hem.” Wi k iped ia fou nder Ji m my Wa les a rg ues t hat t he site ca n ma i nta i n neut ra l it y i n content even as it ta kes pu bl ic posit ions on issues. “The encycloped ia w i l l a lways be neut ra l. The commu n it y need not be, not when t he encycloped ia is t h reatened,” he t weeted. The Wi k i med ia Fou ndat ion, wh ich ad m i n isters t he site, a n nou nced t he blackout late Monday, a f ter pol li ng its com mu n it y of volu nteer cont r i butors a nd ed itors a nd get t i ng responses f rom 1,800 of t hem. The protest is a i med at t he Stop On l i ne P i racy Act i n t he House a nd t he P rotect Intellect ua l P roper t y Act u nder considerat ion i n t he Senate. “I f passed, t h is leg islat ion w i l l ha r m t he f ree a nd open I nter net a nd br i ng a bout new tools for censorsh ip of i nter nat iona l websites i nside t he Un ited States,” t he fou ndat ion sa id. Bot h bi l ls a re desig ned to crack dow n on sa les of pirated A mer ica n products overseas, a nd t hey have t he suppor t of t he f i l m a nd music i ndust r y. A mong t he opponents a re ma ny Inter net compa n ies such as Google, Facebook, Ya hoo, Tw it ter, eBay a nd AOL. They say t he bi l ls wou ld hu r t t he i ndus-
AP
Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales spoke at the London Cyberspace Conference. The website is blacking out its website Wednesday, Jan. 18 in protest of anti-piracy legislation. t r y a nd i n f r i nge on f reespeech r ights. Socia l news website Redd it.com is shut t i ng dow n for 12 hou rs on Wed nesday, but most compa n ies a re stayi ng up. Google Inc. sa id it w i l l d isplay its opposit ion to t he bi l l on its home page i n some fash ion. Dick Costol lo, CEO of Tw itter, sa id he opposes t he legislat ion as wel l, but shut t i ng dow n t he ser v ice was out of t he q uest ion. “Closi ng a globa l busi ness i n react ion to si ngle-issue nat iona l pol it ics is fool ish,” Costol lo t weeted. Si nce Wi k i med ia depends on a sma l l a r my of volu nteers who create a nd up-
date a r t icles, it’s pa r t icula rly concer ned a bout a lack of exempt ions i n t he bi l ls for sites where users m ight cont r i bute copy r ighted content. Today, it has no obl igat ion u nder U.S. law except remov i ng t hat content i f a copy r ight holder compla i ns. But u nder t he House version of t he bi l l, it cou ld be shut dow n u n less it pol ices its ow n pages. The pla ns for t he protest were mov i ng for wa rd even t hough t he bi l l’s prospects appea red to be d i m m i ng. On Sat u rday, Rep. Da r rel l Issa, a Ca l i for n ia Democrat, sa id t he bi l l wou ld not move to t he House f loor for a vote u n less consensus is reached. However, La ma r Sm it h, a Texas Repu bl ica n, sa id work on t he bi l l wou ld resu me next mont h. The W h ite House ra ised concer ns over t he weekend, pledg i ng to work w it h Cong ress to bat t le pi racy a nd cou nter feit i ng wh i le defendi ng f ree expression, pr ivacy a nd i n novat ion i n t he Internet. The ad m i n ist rat ion signa led it m ight use its veto power, i f necessa r y. That t he bi l l seems u n-
l i kely to pass is a not her reason Law ton opposes t he blackout. “I t h i n k t here a re fa r more i mpor ta nt t h i ngs for t he orga n izat ion to focus aside f rom leg islat ion t hat isn’t l i kely to pass a ny way,” he sa id. He’s been cont r i but i ng to Wi k iped ia for eight yea rs. Da n ny Ch ia, a not her cont r i butor to t he site, sa id he had m i xed feel i ngs a bout t he blackout. The neut ra lit y appl ies to t he content, but a lot of people i nter pret it as bei ng a bout t he site as a whole, sa id t he Los A ltos, Ca l i f., sof t wa re eng i neer. In a n on l i ne d iscussion, ot hers ra ised t he sa me poi nt a bout t he blackout : Appea ra nces mat ter, a nd i f t he aud ience sees Wi k iped ia ta k i ng a sta nd, it m ight not bel ieve t he a r t icles a re object ive, eit her. Wi k iped ia has seen a sma l l decl i ne i n pa r t icipat ion, f rom a pea k of 100,000 act ive ed itors a yea r ago to a bout 90,000 now. Wi k i med ia Fou ndat ion bla mes t h is ma i n ly on outdated ed it i ng tools, a nd bel ieves it ca n get t he nu m ber g row i ng aga i n w it h sof t wa re upg rades.
page 8
Inside Column
Don’t want to miss a thing Yesterday, I saw a lot of Facebook stat u ses t hat a mou nted to, “Today is my last f i rst day of a col lege semester,” etc. Wel l, yesterday was my exact ly t hat — my last f i rst day of a col lege semester. There a re goi ng to be a lot of lasts t h is semester, but I ref u se to ma ke my f i na l Maija Gustin semester a bout my lasts. Scene Editor That say i ng, “L ive ever y day l i ke it’s you r last” is somet h i ng of a fa lse statement. I f today were my last day, I wou ld go sk y-d iv i ng, eat my weight i n Ch icago-st yle pi zza a nd cer ta i n ly not go to class. But, i f I d id t hat ever y day, where wou ld I be? A s much as I w i l l m iss col lege when it’s over, a nd as much as I’m goi ng to enjoy t h is last semester w it h my f r iends a nd fel low sen iors, I don’t wa nt it to be a ny d i f ferent t ha n a ny ot her semester at Not re Da me. There a re cer ta i n ly t h i ngs I w i l l do more of, a nd ot hers I w i l l do less of, but t he beaut y of t h is last semester is I get to keep doi ng exact ly what I’ve been doi ng — bei ng a col lege, nay, a Not re Da me, st udent. I f I spend ever y day t h i n k i ng it’s my last somet h i ng, I si mply won’t be a ble to enjoy ever yt h i ng t h is semester w i l l br i ng. I’d rat her look at t he posit ives t ha n t he negat ives. Wi l l I remem ber my last f i rst day a ny more fond ly come May ju st becau se I t hought of it t hat way? That bei ng sa id, my New Yea r’s resolut ion is to l ive up t h is last semester of col lege. W h i le school, my t hesis a nd f i nd i ng a job w i l l cer ta i n ly keep my bu sy, t h is is t he end of t hose bygone days of ease a nd i r respon si bi l it y t hat college a l lows. Wel l, I don’t act ua l ly k now i f t hat is t r ue at t h is school, but I suppose t he rea l world w i l l be ha rder rega rd less. So accord i ng to t h is resolut ion, I won’t m iss a t h i ng. A nd t hat’s how I’d l i ke to see it. Th is isn’t my last semester so much as it is my u lt i mate (i n ma ny sen ses of t he word) semester. I g uess my a rg u ment is rea l ly just a bout sema nt ics — ca l l t hem you r lasts i f you rea l ly wa nt to. But for me, i n not doi ng t hat, I k now t hat I’m goi ng to enjoy my t i me here even more. Yes, it w i l l come to a n end i n a few mont h s, but rat her t ha n t h i n k a bout t hat, I’m just goi ng to do col lege — t he f r iends, t he f u n, even t he work — i n t he best way I ca n. Fi rst, last or ot her w ise. Fra n k ly, even t hough t h is is my last semester, I ca n’t wa it to ta ke it on. Contact Maija Gustin at mgustin@nd.edu The views expressed in the Inside Column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
The Observer | ndsmcobserver.com
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Echoes of yesterday, today and tomorrow Welcome back! It’s time to take a deep breath and start again: a new semester, a new year, perhaps a new major or a new roommate for some of you. And yet, aren’t you grateful for what’s not new — friends, profesKate Barrett sors, rectors, well-worn paths Faithpoint to classes, the Rock and South Dining Hall? Both the familiar and the new add their particular flavors to the mix as each of us sorts out where and how we fit into the story of what Notre Dame has been and will be. While many of you were still away from campus, Notre Dame and the Congregation of Holy Cross all over the world celebrated the life of St. André Bessette on his feast day, Jan. 6. St. André would probably never have gotten into Notre Dame, had it ever occurred to him to apply. And yet his amazing life continues to echo today, at Notre Dame and wherever people learn of his abiding faith that God listened to his prayers with mercy and compassion. André prayed for hours each day, alone in his room at night and throughout the day, while the number of people who came to him and asked for his prayers grew. Do you ever say to family members or friends, as so many people asked of St. André, “Pray for me, please”? In times of need, sorrow or fear, we pick up the phone, we turn to our roommate, we send an email, we ask for help. Put this together with our Christian belief that believers who have died now live in communion with God, and it makes sense we could also ask the dead (espe-
cially those whom the Church recognizes as particularly holy) to pray for us as well. Community, for Christians, stretches not only across geography, but across time. We share our faith with believers around the world today, but also with people who lived, struggled and found joy hundreds or even thousands of years ago. And people who aren’t even born yet will become a part of our community hundreds of years from now. Twenty years ago next week, two young women from our Notre Dame community became members of the communion of saints. Meghan Beeler and Colleen Hipp, two freshmen swimmers, were killed when the bus carrying the swim team home from a meet at Northwestern skidded off the Toll Road and flipped over into the ditch that separates eastbound from westbound traffic. Though they had only been at Notre Dame for a few months, they had already become a part of the community: in Lewis, in Walsh, on the team, in their classes — they had already changed the story of Notre Dame. They returned for the spring semester, as you have just done, probably relieved and glad what had seemed so new and unsettling just the August before now looked familiar and comfortable, looking forward to seeing friends and roommates with whom they had already formed strong and precious bonds. Though their deaths were unaccountably tragic and premature, Colleen and Meghan are still a part of the timeless community in which believers share the certainty that God listens to our prayers: prayers of sorrow, protest, lament and elation.
When we ask another person — living or dead — to pray for us and our needs, or when we believe our prayers are part of a larger chorus of offerings to God, along with the prayers of St. André, Declan Sullivan, Mara Fox, Meghan Beeler, Colleen Hipp or so many other members of the Notre Dame family who are no longer with us, we acknowledge our need for a community of faith. Eternal life with God will find us in the communion of saints, and we’re meant to remember that communion and establish it on earth. When we offer our prayers for the friend in the room next door, or plead in our prayers alongside the ancient saint who understands our modern doubts and fears, we must remember we’re not mustering the troops to lobby God for a particular outcome. We need each other, and our lives on earth will look more like heaven, not because God’s going to change the course of events for us, but because we’ve found God in our connections to one another. Perhaps if St. André were alive today, he would urge us to remember with care what real community means: the strengthening of our invisible bonds of shared life and death, the attempt to bring our lives on earth a little closer to the Kingdom of God, the joy and gratitude found with others we will never find alone. Never underestimate the power of asking another person to pray for you, or of offering to do so for someone else. Kate Barrett is the director of the Emmaus Program in Campus Ministry. She can be reached at kbarrett@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Editorial Cartoon
Quote of the day “What’s the use of a good quotation if you can’t change it?” Doctor Who British television program
Weekly Poll What was the best part of Winter Break? Torturing siblings Eating your weight in candy canes Making New Year’s Resolutions Breaking New Year’s Resolutions
Vote by 5 p.m. Thursday at ndsmcobserver.com
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
The Observer | ndsmcobserver.com
page 9
Happy New Year It is a vast, uninterrupted expanse of white outside. The snow is falling, but the cold lake is still. My apartment is quiet, absent the ticking clock and my typing fingers. There are no cars moving Sukesh Shekar outside. I am sitting Guest Columnist alone in the cordiality of my couch, but I don’t feel lonely because my thoughts are keeping me company. I am happy. It’s a calming sensation, one of serenity and satisfaction, but I have no one to share it with. Why would I? The clock reads 2:31 p.m. on a hoary Jan. 2 afternoon. South Bend is enshrined in 12 inches of snow, and I in it. Although this moment is a solitary instance in time, this year alone constitutes 31,622,400 seconds. In how many of those moments will I get to touch upon happiness again? Undoubtedly, there will be birthdays, parties brimming with laughter, new travels, sundresses to admire, graduations and weddings to celebrate and a smattering of accomplishments: good grades, published papers and encouraging research results. Thoreau says there is no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of a man to elevate himself by
conscious endeavor. Nevertheless, to what end are these human endeavors? If one of David Eagleman’s alternate universes were true, in which the supreme arbiter were to reorder the events of this year, such that I live out each of my endeavors one at a time. I would receive my allotted 468 seconds of pure unadulterated joy all at once, I would hibernate for four months and attend class for eight days. I would study unremittingly for two weeks, eat non-stop for 10 days, expend three days writing papers, 16 days procrastinating, two and a half days showering, three days dancing, and 7.6 days on Facebook. I would go on dates for 41 hours and kiss for 61 minutes. I would tell bad jokes for eight hours and smile for 30. Seven hours would elapse standing in line for lunch, another 15 stopped at traffic lights, eight and a half hours shopping at the Gap, 13 days at the gym, 33 hours watching ND football, another 54 tailgaiting, an entire day in a hangover, six days reading books, two months researching in lab, 27 hours brushing my teeth and perhaps a few moments imagining how wonderful life would be if I did not have to go through these events in order. If I could fashion my own attitude, would joy become more accessible in
my quotidian life? There is a fable of a stonecutter who was unhappy because he undertook hard labor for meager wages. He thought he would be happy if he were king. How wonderful it would be to be king, a gold throne instead of this drudgery! He transformed into the king, but as he was being carried on his throne, the sun beamed in his eye. He said the sun is more powerful than the king and his star was born. He became lamp of the earth, in all places but one, where a cloud blocked his light. He thought the cloud has more clout than the sun and transformed into the cloud. When he was the cloud, the rain left him and nourished the earth. He said the rain was more powerful than the cloud, so he wished to be rain. He came down as rain, quenched the parched soil and turned into a river. The river came upon a stone that would not erode. He wanted to become the invincible stone and converted into it. When he was stone, a powerful stonecutter came along and cut him. He wished to be a stonecutter once again. His wish came true one last time and he was a stonecutter at long last, but this time he was happy. This year comprises 366 sunrises,
Letters to the Editor
Consider right to life in broader context Dear Editor, While I certainly do not disparage the upcoming “March for Life” or Father Jenkins’ and Notre Dame’s role within it, I do cringe at it being highlighted above efforts to end the other social and political wrongs being perpetrated throughout the world. Rather than focusing solely on abortion, why is my alma mater not also raising its collective and institutional voice with equal fervor and pitch to decry our society’s arrogant and brutal death penalties, the genocide being committed across the globe or the oft recurring tendency of the world community to discount the plight or the poor and downtrodden? By publicly focusing almost solely on this one “right to life” issue, Catholicism and Notre Dame continue to climb into bed, and make an unholy alliance, with those on the far right of political and social philosophy whose other tenets run contrary to what used to be, at least, the Church’s core values of social justice. I hope we all pray for the sanctity of human life in its broader sense and not for just one “hot button” issue that feeds the beast of draconian social and political philosophy. Tim Slavin Class of ‘73 Morrison, IL Jan. 14
UWire
Obama succumbs to education lobby For-profit colleges often lure students, especially minorities, with promises of quick degrees and high paying jobs. However, in reality these students are often left with loads of debt, unprepared to enter the Minnesota Daily workplace. Editorial Board Meanwhile, durMinnesota Daily ing the 2008 presidential campaign, one of the many promises President Barack Obama made was to reform the lobbying system to clean up the politics and close the revolving door between public service and lobbying. However, after a slew of former officials — many on Obama’s team — were paid incredible amounts
of money by the for-profit university industry to lobby against new regulations the administration had proposed, the restrictions that were eventually passed are much weaker than what was promised. Obama had promised to cut tens of billions of dollars in federal aid toward colleges whose graduated students weren’t earning enough money to pay back their loans — numbers which the Washington Post reports are “staggering.” In all, 16 percent of the schools were supposed to be affected by the tough regulations. Instead, a mere 5 percent are, and restrictions are not nearly as tough as they should be. Many of the officials that lobbied against the cuts were not exactly obscure figures.
Obama’s former communications director, a major fund raising bundler and the brother of the man who ran Obama’s transition team were all involved in the lobbying process. For the Obama administration to retreat in the face of the industry is wrong and does a disservice to students and higher education itself. The president should be aiding students by ensuring the highest quality of education is provided, not making the problem worse. This article originally ran in the Dec. 14 edition of the Minnesota Daily, serving the University of Minnesota. The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
13 full moons and one Sadie Hawkins day. I wonder how many sunrises will I wake up to greet. How many times will I laugh uncontrollably with friends? How many times will I walk past a patch of daffodils, stop and take the time to smell them? The stone cutter became the artificer of his own happiness, perhaps we can too. Often, I have been duped into a farce of happiness only awaiting on the horizon. But the art of being happy is not a distant goal in the future; it is a state of mind in the present. Every human enterprise is directed toward happiness in some regard. We do not seek happiness for the sake of something else; however, we seek so much, without sufficient regard, for the sake of happiness. Utopian as it may seem, I wanted to wish you a happy New Year with the knowledge that the unequivocal opportunity for happiness exists in each moment that this year encompasses. Let happiness happen! Sukesh Shakar is a graduate student living off campus. He can be reached at sshekar@nd.edu The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Thank you, Andrew Plaska Andrew, We would like to thank you for pausing to sing the alma mater with the band and the students after the Champs Sports Bowl. We greatly appreciated your willingness to share with us and all those in attendance your pride in the University and its community. We would especially like to thank you for encouraging other players to join you in the singing of the alma mater. To those players who joined you we would like to say thank you as well, your willingness to take a stand and show your respect for the current students, alumni and the University as a whole was very uplifting. Thank you, Bryan Williams junior Old College Dane Krzyskowski junior Keough Hall Kevin Kelly junior Morissey Hall Kevin McDermott junior Siegfried Hall Mark Sonnick junior Siegfried Hall Stephen Wandor junior Siegfried Hall Tim O’Brien junior Dillon Hall Jan. 11
page 10
The Observer | ndsmcobserver.com
way to that 8 a.m. lecture. The tops During one chic aperitif hour over close securely and tightly, banishNew Year’s, while settling a lining any worry of pesky moths. These guistic tête-à-tête, this fashionista tops are themselves colorful, easily discovered that dear Mr. Dictionary accenting your room’s color scheme. defines new as Easily stackable and impossible to “not existing break, they fit anywhere and come in before; made, multiple sizes (the smaller ones work introduced, or wonders for gloves and scarves). Add discovered resome potpourri for an elegant effect. cently or now for the first time.” As we descend 2. Hang clothes by design upon our snowDecode your own dressing methcovered campus, odology. Ask yourself, do you usuwe return to ally dress as a result of how you our dorm rooms feel emotionally? Physically? Does it Felicia from holidays depend on the weather? I myself find Caponigri at home, with that blustery, grey days bring out multiple suitthe inner colorful bright rebel in me. Scene Writer cases of winter Analyze and then act accordingly. clothes dragging Hang your clothes by oh so gracefully behind cut (dresses together, us. It occurs to me that pants, skirts, etc.) for Mr. Dictionary must have easy access. To go the known a chic young colextra mile, organize legiate woman intent on by color within these combining her Summer/ larger sections. Evening Fall wardrobe with her ensembles get their Winter/Spring items into own prized section of one minuscule wooden course. frame (masquerading as an adequate closet space) 3. Over-the-door shoe when composing his defiracks nition. Shoe organization For indeed, during is key for your own Moleskine Passions this January fashion sanity. Invest in stackStyle Journal — $14, merger we fashionistas able racks for boots, Hammes Bookstore are engulfed with the and over the door ones “new:” dresses we forgot we owned, for pumps, keeping them crisp and that scarf that fell behind the bed in presentable. August, that favorite earring potentially lost forever found in 4. Wooden pegs/metal that secret compartment hooks in the purse hiding under Purses were meant to the sink! Alongside these be hung on these conpleasant “new” discoveries, traptions. Stuffed in a however, come the unpleaspile or in a container, ant ones: those coats are they fall to the bottom obstructing the view of my and drown. On pegs they dresses, I can cram the silk are easily visible and shirt next to that scratchy quickly become part of a wool sweater (can’t I?), grab-and-go system. where in heaven’s name are all my boots going to 5. Moleskine’s style go?! The course of true carnet fashion devotion never did This cherry on the run smooth, but there are sundae allows you to Shakespearean organizacatalog your entire tion tools at our disposal to Sterilite drawers — wardrobe with special stiletto-ready the path. remembrance notes and $14.99, Target thumbnail pics, all in a chic moleskine notebook. 1. Clear, colorful plastic Finally, we can put those note-taking containers habits to proper use. With organizaInstead of cramming all those tion like this, it’s going to be one chic T-shirts, and sweaters into those 2012. pitiful drawers underneath your closet, strut on over to Target and invest in this alternate storage opContact Felicia Caponigri at tion. The see-through quality allows fcaponig@nd.edu you to quickly identify the contents. The views expressed in this colColor-code the apparel within for umn are those of the author and not quick wardrobe decisions on your necessarily those of The Observer. LISA HOEYNCK | Observer Graphic
MARIA FERNANDEZ Scene Writer
One of my favorite things about awards season is watching some of Hollywood’s greatest actresses walk down the Red Carpet showing off their elegant, sophisticated and sometimes extravagant ensembles. Their fashion choices for these special occasions often inf luence our style and foreshadow upcoming trends. If Angelina rocked a long-sleeved sparkling emerald gown last year, why shouldn’t we? This year’s Golden Globes were full of glamorous actresses with great dress and jewelry choices. Here are some of Sunday night’s best dressed and the two main trends they all followed.
Color, color and more color
This year’s Golden Globe fashions were all about bold and vibrant colors. All types of red and blue tones dominated on the red carpet. Those who wore dark tones looked perfect for winter, while those who chose lighter red and blue shades hinted at the approach of spring. One of the night’s best dressed was “The Help” star Emma Stone. Her f lowing burgundy Lanvin gown with a plunging neckline paired with an embellished black belt looked amazing and elegant. She continues to surprise and awe her fans with her impeccable style. Reese Witherspoon also made a great choice by wearing a red strapless heartshaped Zac Posen dress to the awards. It was a simple yet sophisticated dress that looked great in contrast with her beach blonde waves. Another awardwinning actress that selected a variant of the daring red color was Natalie Portman with a strapless fuchsia gown by Lanvin with a folded red detail. To complete the look she wore diamond Fred Leigh-
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
ton jewels. Blue was also in at the Golden Globes this year, and nominee Sofia Vergara and presenter Freida Pinto both wore it to perfection. “The Modern Family” star showed off her curves in a teal strapless gown by Vera Wang. She accessorized this mermaid-shaped dress with Harry Winston jeweled cuffs. Pinto went for a more conservative but also elegant look with a teal strapless gown by Prada. She paired the dress with a woven gold Chopard necklace.
Lace and sequins everywhere
Another main fashion trend seen during Sunday’s Golden Globes was the use of lace and sequins. These details in gowns give an extra touch of sophistication and glamour and certainly helped some nominees and presenters stand out that night. Jessica Biel looked natural, yet elegant, in a white longsleeved lace dress. It was a very romantic look that she modified by wearing her dark, wavy hair down. Glee star Dianna Agron also mastered the lace trend with a bright red halter gown. It was full of very intricate embellishments that caught everyone’s eyes. Finally, Sunday night was definitely Claire Dane’s night. Not only did she win a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Series, but the “Homeland” star also rocked a black and white J. Mendel gown. While the front of the dress was very simple, the cut-out back and the sequined detailing made her look like a winner. Overall, this year’s Golden Globes were filled with gorgeous Hollywood stars styling amazing gowns. What truly made some shine, though, were their daring choices of color and detail. Let’s see what fashions the Oscars will bring next. Contact Maria Fernandez at mfernan5@nd.edu
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
The Observer | ndsmcobserver.com
NEIL MATHIESON Scene Writer
Gone are the days of the traditional American families, if they were ever here to begin with. The visages of Rockwell’s wholesome Americanism that we find on postcards and calendars are nothing but illusive shadows. They are myth, a fantasy we hold as a standard. A bar we will always fall short of, some of us more painfully than others. As Tolstoy wrote, “happy families are all alike; but every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” In director Alexander Payne’s (“Sideways”) “The Descendants,” we come upon a family in crisis. Matt King (George Clooney), an aristocrat of the Hawaiian Islands and prominent land owner, is an incompetent father of two. His wife lies unconscious in a hospital after a boating accident left her in a coma. Isolated, overwhelmed and scared, Matt King explains to his daughters Alexandra, 17, and Scottie, 10, that legally they must take their mother off life support and she will never wake up. However, Matt discovers his wife has been having an affair. Not only is she leaving him in death, but she has already left him in spirit. He decides to track the adulterer down. Furthermore, through lineage, Matt is the trustee of some of the most valuable land on O’ahu. The King clan is ready to sell, but Matt is starting to have second thoughts, unsure whether he is ready to let another part of his family go. “The Descendants” continues the wave of modern American films about dysfunctional families, following “Little Miss Sunshine,” “The Kids are Alright” and “Rachel Getting Married.” The film is a whimsical drama layered over heartfelt tragedy and poetic soulfulness that anchor it in truth and personal experience. The backdrop of Hawaii is not the Hawaii that one would expect. The beautiful vistas are accentuated with a grey and gloom that make the environment ref lect the bitter psyche of the soon-to-be-widowed Matt King. This paradise is no escape for him, but rather the harshest of realities. Clooney takes the helm of this cast and never steers them off course. He gives one of the year’s most moving performances as a father who is as equally afraid of his children as he is in love with them. His fear stems from his own inadequacy as a parent and the subversive effects his nurturing will have on his daughters. Clooney’s ability to emote this relat-
page 11
able anxiousness and uncertainty shines through with genuineness. He alleviates many of the films tougher moments while highlighting his delicate comic dexterity. However, his most impressive moments are often the quietest in which we watch a man struggle against life’s crippling suddenness. We truly feel the weight he carries, and for that, Clooney should be applauded and recognized. Payne directs the film with a poignant tenderness. He keeps the camera close to his characters focusing on the emotional warfare at play. He cuts away only to insert moments of everyday images and life that exfoliate the travel brochure sheen of Hawaii in exchange for a more authentic and intimate window into the universe of the King family. Furthermore, he scores the film with a series of melancholic ukulele ballads that set a wonderfully introspective mood and ground the film more firmly in Hawaiian culture. This is not to say “The Descendants” is all bleakness and despair. At its core, Payne’s film is really about redemption, forgiveness and familial love. Payne recognizes that being a parent is hard and raising a family is even harder. Kids are savvier than ever before, completely aware of the transgressions of ineptitude and hypocrisy that every parent will undoubtedly commit. But, as Matt King realizes, marriage and parenting are not an exact or even logical sciences; life’s spontaneity destroys all chances of that. Life is often chaos. But, often only amidst such a tempest of chaos and heartache do we really find our bearings. We discover ourselves, but more importantly those around us. Contact Neil Mathieson at nmathies@nd.edu
“The Descendants” Directed by: Alexander Payne Starring: George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller
LISA HOEYNCK | Observer Graphic
The Observer u Classifieds
page 12 | ndsmcobserver.com
Sports Authority
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
NFL
Hot stove headlines Colts fire coach Jim Caldwell in a winter of football Associated Press
Each winter, once college football’s bowl season finishes, I get restless for baseball season to start. Sure, the NFL playoffs are entertaining, but, for me, it can’t compete with baseball or college football. It doesn’t help that my Lions are always Andrew Owens preparing for the NFL Associate Draft come Sports Editor mid-January. For those looking for a midwinter baseball appetizer, here are some of the most compelling stories a month before pitchers and catchers report.
A unique world champion
Despite winning the World Series in dramatic fashion last October, the Cardinals enter 2012 after the franchise was shaken up like few champions before them. Legendary manager Tony LaRussa has retired and the ink has yet to dry on first baseman Albert Pujols’s megacontract with the Angels. Their replacements? Mike Matheny is the new skipper and Lance Berkman, at age 36 on Opening Day, replaces Pujols at first base. One positive for the Red Birds, though, is the return of ace Adam Wainwright, who missed the entire 2011 season with an injury. As slim as the odds were that the Cardinals would win the World Series when they were 10.5 games behind the Braves in late August, they are even slimmer that they will repeat.
New park, new look
The Florida Marlins — I mean, the Miami Marlins — are moving into their state-of-theart ballpark, but that’s not the only makeover the team will experience in 2012. After eight seasons at the helm of the White Sox, a stint that included a 2005 World Series victory, controversial manager Ozzie Guillen is back in Miami, a perfect choice for a franchise desperate to attract fans to its new palace, the cost of which exceeded $500 million. Hiring Guillen was not the only splash the Marlins made during the offseason, as Miami nabbed shortstop Jose Reyes
from the Mets, a rival in the NL East. Starting pitcher Mark Buehrle followed Guillen from the White Sox to South Beach and reliever Heath Bell was added to bolster the Marlins’ bullpen as well. While the Marlins hope to compete in 2012, they promise to entertain. I’m waiting for Las Vegas to come out with the over/under on the amount of Twitter bombs dropped by Guillen and outfielder Logan Morrison this summer.
Battle Los Angeles
Now that Frank McCourt, everyone’s favorite villain in Los Angeles, has agreed to sell the Dodgers, the onceproud franchise can finally move forward from a tumultuous stretch in which the team was known more for its offthe-field drama than on-field play. With a Cy Young winner in Clayton Kershaw and Matt Kemp earning a second-place finish in the NL MVP voting, that’s saying a lot. Just down the freeway, the Angels signed the aforementioned Pujols to a 10-year, $240 million contract and landed pitcher C.J. Wilson for five years at a cost of $77.5 million. In other words, the team committed to $317.5 million for two players in one day.
The Evil Empire strikes again
For much of the offseason, the Yankees and Red Sox sat on their hands and watched teams like the Marlins and Angels land the game’s prized free agents. In a proverbial stare-off, the Yankees blinked first, signing former Dodger Hiroki Kuroda and trading for Michael Pineda to give a onceshaky rotation two immense upgrades. With Pineda and Kuroda joining C.C. Sabathia and Ivan Nova in the rotation, the Bronx Bombers are once again a favorite to reach the postseason for the 17th time in 18 years. Boston, it’s your move. As intriguing as a potential matchup of Harbaugh brothers in the Super Bowl would be, it’s time for the boys of summer to report to spring training. Contact Andrew Owens at aowens2@nd.edu The views expressed in this Sports Authority column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Classifieds For Rent ROOM FOR RENT IN A NEW 3 BEDROOM TOWNHOUSE IN IVY QUAD, ADJACENT TO CAMPUS. $700+UTILITIES.
SCORGAN@ND.EDU (908)2689020
Personal UNPLANNED PREGNANCY? Don’t go it alone. Notre Dame has many resources in place to assist you. If you or someone you love needs confidential support or assistance, please call Sr. Sue Dunn at 1-7819 or Ann Firth at 1-2685. For more information, visit ND’s website at: http://pregnancysupport@nd.edu
INDIANAPOLIS — Jim Caldwell endured everything thrown at him during his first two seasons as the Colts’ coach — replacing a friend, constant criticism, even fighting through a huge rash of injuries. He couldn’t survive the loss of Peyton Manning. Caldwell became the Colts’ third high-profile dismissal in an offseason purge, getting fired Tuesday after producing the franchise’s worst record in two decades. “This is obviously a big transitional time for us, and I know we’re excited moving forward and it’s hard when you say goodbyes to some people,” team owner Jim Irsay said. “But it’s part of the business.” In Indianapolis, it’s been anything but business as usual. The day after they finished 2-14 and locked up the No. 1 overall draft pick, Irsay fired team vice chairman Bill Polian, the architect of the Colts’ success, and his son, Chris, the hand-picked general manager. A nine-day search prompted Irsay to hire 39-year-old Ryan Grigson as the replacement last Wednesday. Since then, Irsay and his new GM have been meeting almost non-stop, debating what tack the team needed to take next — bringing in new assistants to fix the problems or making wholesale changes? Things were so clouded Monday that Caldwell even met with former Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo about possibly becoming the Colts’ new defensive coordinator. By Tuesday morning, the conventional wisdom in Indy and around league circles was that Caldwell would return. A few hours later, everything changed as suddenly as the Colts’ 2011 fortunes. Irsay said he informed Caldwell of the decision shortly before the team confirmed the move. The search for a new coach is to begin immediately though neither Irsay nor Grigson provided a timeline for the hiring. “We just came to the conclusion that this is best moving forward for the franchise,” Grigson said, referring to his first major decision in charge of an NFL team. “Mr. Irsay is the steward of this franchise and I’m here to help him wrap his head around these types of decisions. We’ve been in football our whole lives and a lot of it is about instincts.” It’s also about results, and Caldwell’s were mixed. After winning his first 14 games, an NFL record for a rookie head coach, and becoming only the fifth first-year coach to take his team to the Super
AP
Colts general manager Ryan Grigson addresses the media Tuesday, when the team announced the firing of head coach Jim Caldwell. Bowl, Caldwell did a masterful job guiding the injury-plagued Colts through a plague of injuries and back to the playoffs in 2010. But those successes all came with Manning, who led the Colts to a league-record 115 regularseason wins in the previous decade and a record-tying nine straight playoff appearances. This season, without the franchise quarterback behind center, the Colts lost their first 13 games before winning twice in five days. Among players and coaches, Caldwell was universally wellliked. The list included Manning, who won all four of his record-setting MVP Awards with Caldwell on Indy’s staff, as well as perennial Pro Bowl center Jeff Saturday. “I think coach Caldwell has done a very good job. He has gotten the most out of his players, and we play hard for him each and every week,” Saturday said before the season finale. “We haven’t necessarily played well, we’ve made mistakes and done things, but they have, oftentimes, been things that we’ve talked about in coaching meetings.” Outsiders often saw it another way. Fans frequently complained about Caldwell’s game management, and some critics referred to Caldwell as a “puppet” of the Polians. Many never forgave Caldwell for pulling the plug on a perfect season in a Game 15 loss to the Jets in 2009 and pointed to the midseason firing of defensive coordinator
Larry Coyer and the long delay in replacing Curtis Painter with Dan Orlvosky at quarterback as decisions that should have come much earlier. Irsay and Grigson did not characterize Caldwell’s 1,099-day tenure the same way fans did, though it sounded as if they agreed with some points. “We want leadership. Leadership is important,” Grigson said when asked about the characteristics he sought in a new coach. “We want strong leadership, and we want someone who shares his vision in this new era of Colts football. We want the best man and the best leader and the man that gives us the best way to go.” Though it’s unclear who the Colts may target, the possibilities could include Green Bay offensive coordinator Joe Philbin, Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Morhinweg and perhaps Spagnuolo. The last time Irsay presided over such a massive housecleaning was after the 1997 season when he replaced Bill Tobin with Bill Polian, coach Lindy Infante with Jim Mora and quarterback Jim Harbaugh with Manning. It could happen again. “This was a difficult decision,” Irsay said. “I wanted to make sure we took all the time we needed to make sure it was the right decision. ... And just like 14 years, ago, it’s a big change for the franchise and at the same time, there’s players, coaches, many people on the staff that will go into the new day and get on with the work of 2012.”
The Observer accepts classifieds every business day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Notre Dame office, 024 South Dining Hall. Deadline for next-day classifieds is 3 p.m. All classifieds must be prepaid. The charge is 5 cents per character per day, including all spaces. The Observer reserves the right to edit all classifieds for content without issuing refunds.
A bad cause requires many words.
A loan though old is not gift.
A rumor goes in one ear and out many mouths.
Tell me who your friends are, so I can tell you who you are.
A broken hand works, but not a broken heart.
A man is not honest simply because he never had a chance to steal.
God gives the nuts, but he doesn’t crack them.
What forgets is the axe, but the tree that has been axed will never forget.
A monkey never thinks her baby’s ugly.
He is not wise that is not wise for himself.
A drowning man is not troubled by rain.
A penny saved is a penny gained.
He makes his home where the living is best.
All that’s well lasts short.
A forest is in an acorn.
Measure thrice, cut once.
A hungry man is an angry man.
Who is curious gets old quickly.
The way it came is the way it will go.
He who digs too deep for a fish, may come out with a snake.
A close friend can become a close enemy.
A loose tooth will not rest until it’s pulled out.
The Observer u Sports
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
ndsmcobserver.com | page 13
Tennis
Williams, Clijsters, Li advance in Australian Open Associated Press MELBOURNE, Australia — Defending champion Kim Clijsters cruised into the third round of the Australian Open and then showed just how much support she has at Rod Laver Arena by getting the crowd to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to her younger sister. Clijsters only needed 47 minutes to beat Stephanie Foretz Gacon of France 6-0, 6-1 on Wednesday, conceding just 10 points in the first set and showing no signs of a hip problem that forced her to retire during a semifinal against Daniela Hantuchova at a warmup tournament two weeks ago. She will meet Hantuchova in the next round here, and has a potential rematch of the 2011 Australian Open final with Li Na in the fourth. Roger Federer, who has won four of his 16 Grand Slam titles in Australia, got a walkover into the third round when Andreas Beck of Germany withdrew from their scheduled Hisense Arena match due to a lower back injury. It deprived Federer of a different view at Melbourne Park, where he has played every match in Rod Laver Arena since the third round of the 2004 Australian Open. He’ll meet either Ivo Karlovic of Croatia or Carlos Berlocq of Argentina in the next round. Eighth-ranked Mardy Fish became the first top 10 player on the men’s side to lose, falling 7-6 (4), 6-3, 7-6 (6) to Colombia’s Alejandro Falla. No. 7 Tomas Berdych advanced 6-1, 6-0, 7-6 (4) over Olivier Rochus of Belgium and Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany was leading 6-0, 4-0 when Spain’s Pere Riba retired with an injured left foot.
Taiwan’s Yen-hsun Lu beat French qualifier Florent Serra in straight sets and No. 30 Kevin Anderson of South Africa beat Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (3), 6-3. Clijsters and No. 20 Hantuchova, a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 winner over Lesia Tsurenko, have been playing each other for years. “When the injury happened, it happened against Daniela,” Clijsters said of the hip muscle spasms she had at the Brisbane International. “She’s been playing well this season so far. “We both go back a long way — we grew up playing under-14s together. Now almost 30 — still battling it out.” This was Clijsters best run at a major since the last Australian Open — she lost in the second round at the French Open and didn’t play Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. Li is also returning to form, going further than she has a Grand Slam tournament since her breakthrough win at the French Open. She next plays No. 26 Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain, who beat Olga Govortsova of Belarus 6-1, 6-0. Li said she loved being back on Rod Laver Arena, where she burst onto the global tennis scene last year, while Clijsters still clearly feels at home on a court where she’s still known as “Aussie Kim” long after her relationship with Lleyton Hewitt ended. In a post-match TV interview, she asked presenter Rennae Stubbs a favor, saying her brother-in-law phoned her from Belgium to ask if she could convince the crowd to sing a birthday song for Elke, Clijsters’ younger sister. The crowd obliged, after Clijsters kicked it off.
Serena Williams shakes hands with Austria’s Tamira Paszek after Williams’ first round 6-3, 6-2 win at the Australian Open Tennis Championship in Melbourne, Australia on Wednesday. Li took longer for her secondround win, saying it was harder than the scoreline suggested. She also has fond memories of Melbourne Her form dipped after the French Open, with losses in the second round at Wimbledon and the first round at the U.S. Open, until she returned to Australia. Coming off a run to the final at last week’s Sydney International, Li was the first woman into the third round. Li, who will be 30 next month and is seeded No. 5 at Melbourne Park, said she had great memories of the start of 2011.
“I’m feeling always good to come back to Rod Laver Arena,” she said, reflecting on how her life had changed dramatically since last season started. “This year is much better than last year — more fans come to watch me play, not only from China but all over the world.” Li’s Chinese compatriot, 16thseeded Peng Shuai, lost 6-2, 6-4 to Iveta Benesova of Czech Republic, while former No. 1-ranked Jelena Jankovic beat Chang Kai-chen of Taiwan 6-4, 6-2. Serena Williams advanced to the second round in a match that finished after midnight, her ankle holding up to its first test since she sprained it in Brisbane two weeks ago. The only thing that bugged her, despite the 11:32 p.m. start on Tuesday, were the insects in a 6-3, 6-2 win over Tamira Paszek. “I hate bugs more than you can imagine,” Williams said. “Like, they kept jumping on me. Yuck!” Between points, Williams picked up and moved or shooed away bugs that landed on court, and two that landed on her back. A big one gave her a fright, making her hop as she tried to stifle a screech.
AP
“I’m going to request not to play at night anymore because I hate bugs, except for the final. I heard it’s at night,” Williams said. “I’ll try to get used to them.” Two years after she won her last Australian Open title, Williams extended her winning streak to 15 matches at Melbourne Park in the season’s first major tournament. She won titles in 2009 and 2010 but missed the chance to defend her title last year amid a prolonged injury layoff. Williams was playing only her third match since losing the U.S. Open final to Sam Stosur last September, so she admitted being “a wee bit tight.” Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and No. 4-ranked Maria Sharapova also advanced. Stosur didn’t make the second round, losing 7-6 (2), 6-3 to No. 59-ranked Sorana Cirstea, but fans hung around to watch another Aussie hope. Hewitt, a twotime major winner, gave the night session crowd something to cheer when he beat Cedrik-Marcel Stebe of Germany 7-5, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5, winning the last six games to overcome two service breaks in the last set.
The Observer u Sports
page 14 | ndsmcobserver.com
Jackson continued from page 20 ference wins, the Irish were riding high as they returned home to take on Western Michigan and return to CCHA play. The momentum appeared to carry into Friday’s matchup, as Notre Dame entered the third period with a 2-1 lead. But after a questionable call against the Irish, the Broncos evened the score on the powerplay, then scored the game winner just 14 seconds later. “We’re still a young team and we still have to find a way to emotionally respond to those situations,” Jackson said. “It was a tough call, first of all. It wasn’t a great call. Then we gave up a powerplay goal, and we didn’t respond well to it.”
The Irish looked to salvage a series split the next night at Western Michigan, but had a tough time finding the net. The team went just one for eight on the powerplay, and was unable to force through a strength goal. Junior goaltender Mike Johnson’s 19 saves weren’t enough, as the Broncos staunch defense propelled them to the 3-1 victory. “Yeah, [the struggles on the powerplay start to worry you], but we didn’t score playing five on five either,” Jackson said. “We’ve got to get a goal playing five on five. If you get one powerplay goal a night that’s not too bad, but you’ve got to score five on five too. Western Michigan has a great defense and great goaltending, and we just had a hard time penetrating that.” After getting swept in a conference series for the first time since
2010, the Irish now sit in a tie for fifth place in the CCHA standings. As the playoffs draw near, every weekend brings a key conference matchup with playoff seeding implications. With that in mind, Jackson and his squad are eager to right the ship when they host No. 10 Michigan this weekend. “Every game right now is essential for us,” Jackson said. “We’ve got to get points. Our objective is to try and finish in the top of the standings so that we get a bye in the first round of the playoffs and put ourselves in position to get back to Detroit. But we’ve got a lot of work to do.” The Irish host the Wolverines in the Compton Family Arena at 7:35 p.m. on Friday. Contact Jack Hefferon at wheffero@nd.edu
GRANT TOBIN/The Observer
Irish sophomore forward Anders Lee skates up the ice with the puck during a loss to Northeastern in December. The Irish are currently 13-8-3.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Brey continued from page 14 missed some free throws and had some turnovers.” Contrary to the teams’ Feb. 11 meeting when the Irish made 27 free-throws, Notre Dame struggled mightily from the charity stripe, going 5-13 — four of which came from sophomore point guard Eric Atkins. Atkins led the Irish in scoring with 15 points on 4-14 shooting, but was left with the heavy burden of carrying an offensively inept Irish attack in the second half. Notre Dame got off to a good start shooting-wise in the first half, hitting 50 percent of its shots. The Irish took a one-point lead with 12 minutes left in the first half after knocking down seven straight shots, but the Scarlet Knights (11-8, 3-3) responded with an 18-8 run, taking an eight-point lead going into the break. The Irish missed a prime opportunity to capitalize on a Rutgers scoring drought, when they were down by eight with five minutes left in a back-and-forth second half. Notre Dame’s stringent man-to-man defense held the Scarlet Knights scoreless for the next 4:34, but the Irish could only muster four points in that time frame. “I thought defensively that we did a good enough job to win. It’s tough to win in this league when you’re scoring in the 50s,” Brey said. “I felt we had good looks again to-
night. Shooting 7-for-20 (from three-point range) is something to build on.” The Irish never saw the lead in the second half, but narrowed Rutgers’ lead to four with just over a minute remaining before Rutgers freshman guard Jerome Seagears hit four consecutive free-throws to seal the victory for the Scarlet Knights, who are off to their best start since the 2003-04 season. Freshman guard Eli Carter led Rutgers in scoring with a steady 13-point effort, but the Scarlet Knight offense was able to exhibit a balanced attack with five players with at least nine points. The Rutgers bench outscored the Irish bench 24-11, as Notre Dame’s bench consisted mostly of freshman forward Pat Connaughton’s seven points. “We’re still playing around with our lineup in an effort to try and help guys. I liked the way we looked in the second half tonight with Pat in there,” Brey said. “All nine of our guys have to be ready to play.” Junior forward Jack Cooley added nine points and nine rebounds, but wasn’t the same scoring threat he was in recent wins over Louisville and South Florida. The big man only attempted two shots in the entire first half. The Irish will look to restore their confidence at home Saturday at 6 p.m., albeit against undefeated No. 1 Syracuse. Contact Andrew Gastelum at agastel1@nd.edu
The Observer u Sports
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Bayliss continued from page 20 that’s more balanced than in the past,” Bayliss said. “I think the last two or three years, we’ve had trouble winning at the top and I think we have demonstrated at least so far that we’re capable of doing that this year.” Notre Dame also displaced singles depth, as seniors Sam Keeton and Niall Fitzgerald won their singles matches against the Redbirds, while sophomore Billy Pecor and junior Michael Moore defeated their opponents from Toledo. “One of the pluses was that we were able to get a number of different players into the match and there’s still two or three more that have a lot of ability that didn’t get a chance to play, but we’re going to try to continue to do that as we go forward,” Bayliss said. “I thought we played pretty well and I think one of the things that showed up was that our depth is more than sufficient.” Despite the success of the season’s first two matches, Bayliss noted areas where the Irish could
improve. “We need to demonstrate the ability to break serve better in doubles and we need to finish out matches when we have opportunities,” he said. “There were several matches we won, but we were well up and allowed them to come close.” With an upcoming schedule that will continue to test the Irish, including matches this weekend against William & Mary and Illinois, Bayliss knows he will get a chance to see just how strong this Notre Dame squad is. “We’ll go from two teams we beat somewhat comfortably this weekend [to] a pretty good William & Mary team and an Illinois team that last year was in the top 10 most of the year and this year is at least a top 20 team,” Bayliss said. “And then we follow up the next weekend with Indiana — top 25 most of last year — and Ohio State, who’s No. 2 or 3 most of the year. So it doesn’t take us long to jump right into the fire and find out where we are.” The Irish square off against William & Mary at Eck Tennis Pavilion on Friday at 6 p.m. Contact Sam Gans at sgans@nd.edu
ND Women’s Swimming
Irish falter in double dual meet Observer Staff Report Despite a two-week training trip to Hawaii in early January, Notre Dame failed to earn a victory at a double dual meet in Ann Arbor on Saturday. The Irish fell to Michigan by a 180-115 margin and narrowly lost to Northwestern 156-144 in their first meet since the Ohio State Invitational in early December. Freshman swimmer Emma Reaney’s standout performance was one of the bright spots for the Irish. She placed first in four events, winning the 100- (1:01.10) and 200yard (2:14.77) breaststroke
GRANT TOBIN/The Observer
events. Reaney also won the 400-yard Individual Medley with a time of 4:19.13 and helped lead the 400-yard freestyle relay team to victory by swimming the final leg. Reaney’s efforts earned her the Big East Swimming and Diving Athlete of the Week award for a conference record third time this season. Notre Dame’s fifth and final event victory came from the diving team. Junior Jenny Chiang continued her strong season by winning the 1-meter diving event by two points over a Michigan diver and placing second in the 3-meter dive.
Sophomore swimmer Sarah Dotzel gave a strong performance, placing second in the 100-yard backstroke. Senior swimmer Amy Prestinario and freshman swimmer Bridget Casey also finished second in the 100-yard freestyle and 200-yard backstroke, respectively. However, Notre Dame struggled in the 500-yard and 1000yard freestyle events, as both Michigan and Northwestern claimed the top five finishes. The Irish will compete in their penultimate dual meet of the season Saturday when they host Michigan State at Rolf’s Aquatic Center at 2 p.m.
SMC Basketball
Belles prepare for MIAA foe Calvin By PETER STEINER Sports Writer
Junior Blas Moros prepares to hit a shot during the Tom Fallon Invitational on Sept. 23. Moros went 2-0 in singles Sunday.
ndsmcobserver.com | page 15
After compiling a 4-3 record over the break, the Belles are set to enter the final third of their schedule when they face off against undefeated MIAA opponent Calvin tonight. Saint Mary’s (7-9) recently completed the last of its nonconference schedule with a loss to No. 2 Chicago followed by two wins in the Otterbein Smokey Ballenger Classic in Westerville, Ohio. Though the Belles held the advantage over the Maroons going into halftime, the Maroons pulled away with 13-4 run late in the second half to win 70-60. Even though they lost by 10 points at home, Belles coach Jenn
Henley says her team still gained something from the loss. “Chicago came in here ranked second in the country and we had them,” Henley said. “I think we proved to ourselves that we can play with anybody as long as we are playing as a team.” After an 11-day break, the Belles returned to action on Dec. 28 with a convincing 66-48 win over Case Western. They then followed up with second victory in Ohio, defeating Bluffton 68-57. Henley said the Belles played some of their best basketball in these games. “I think we played really well in Ohio,” Henley said. “The kids were having fun playing. They were sharing the ball. They were attacking the basket. They were getting stops. We finally got to the point where we were back to our style of basketball.” While their nonconference schedule was finished, the Belles had four more conference games to play. On Jan. 4, the Belles traveled to Michigan to face off against Adrian. However, after shooting 33.3 percent from the field compared to Adrian’s 53.8 percent, the Belles lost 62-52. Returning home to face Olivet, the Belles, led by senior forward Kelley Murphy and her 15 points, took down the Comets 67-54. Yet in their next home conference game, the Belles suffered another fourth quarter loss, this time to Albion. The game was tied 39-39 with 10:40 remaining in the second
half, but Albion went on a 20-1 run in the last six minutes of the game to win 72-52. In their final conference match, the Belles took down Kalamazoo 61-52. Led by 16 points from senior Patsy Mahoney, the Belles were able to get their first road win of the season. Henley said the biggest improvements the Belles need to make are on the defensive side of the ball. “We have to get more consistent with our defense without a doubt,” Henley said. “We have to do a better job on the boards and boxing teams out. We can’t give up as many offensive boards as we have been doing and then offensively we need to continue to attack the basket and get to the free throw line.” The Belles will hope to improve in some of these aspects when they face Calvin tonight. Though Calvin is ranked first in the MIAA conference, Henley says the Belles are accustomed to playing such tough competition in the MIAA. “It seems like in the past couple of years, if it’s not Calvin ranked in the top five, it’s Hope,” Henley said. “We are used to that. It’s nothing we are intimidated by. It’s normal for this league to have somebody ranked that high in conference. We are prepping again today to stop their inside game and take care of business.” The Belles play Calvin at home tonight at 7:30 p.m. Contact Peter Steiner at psteiner@nd.edu
The Observer u Sports
page 16 | ndsmcobserver.com
Fencing
Track
and
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Field
Irish athletes compete Notre Dame excels at Open in Portland competition By BRIAN HARTNETT Sports Writer
By MIKE MONACO Sports Writer
Notre Dame took to the mats in Portland, Ore., over the weekend, participating in the United States Fencing Association’s North American Cup. Since the event was not NCAAsanctioned and the team was not together throughout winter break, the Irish did not send a full squad of fencers. The event was used as an opportunity for those with Olympic team aspirations to improve their individual standing on the international scale. Considering the scope of the North American Cup tournaments, Irish coach Janusz Bednarski said he alters his expectations for individual fencers heading into these events. “They fenced pretty well as a whole,” Bednarski said. “The places that they finished in are pretty far from the standard that we have when we participate in NCAA events, but you have to remember that [North American Cups] are international events.” Despite these tempered expectations, the Irish had some top finishes in both the men’s and women’s divisions. Freshman Ashley Severson took sixth place in the women’s epee, while a quartet of foilists turned in strong performances. Freshman Madison Zeiss, sophomore Rachel Beck, senior Radmila Sarkisova and junior Grace Hartman came in 14th, 18th, 21st and 30th, respectively, in the women’s foil. In the women’s sabre, junior Lian Osier finished 19th. In the men’s division, sophomore foilist Nick Kubik finished in 26th place. Junior James Kaull and sophomore Michael
Rossi came in 17th and 31st, respectively, in the epee. Bednarski was particularly pleased with those results. “More than 250 of the best fencers in all of North America competed in [the men’s epee],” Bednarski said. “These are good places for our young athletes.” In the men’s sabre, junior Jason Choy finished 12th, while sophomore Kevin Hassett came in 26th. In addition to these current Irish team members, Bednarski noted a group of fencers who took the year off from the Notre Dame program to fully pursue the Olympic team. “They performed well,” Bednarski said. “We had some finalists out of those who are trying to qualify [for the Olympics].” Participating in North American Cup events provides such fencers with the opportunity to elevate their national team standing. Many members of this group did significantly improve their chances for Olympic qualification with top performances in Portland. Kelley Hurley, Lee Kiefer, and Race Imboden all won their respective divisions, while Courtney Hurley and Gerek Meinhardt turned in second place finishes. On the collegiate level, the men’s team kicked off its national title defense with a 6-0 win at the Air Force Duals on Jan. 7. The Irish defeated Cal Tech, UC San Diego, Swarthmore, Air Force, Stanford and Florida en route to their first win of the new campaign. The squad is back in action Saturday when it heads to Queens, N.Y. for the St. John’s Dual. Contact Mike Monaco at jmonaco@nd.edu
SMC Swimming
Saint Mary’s prepares for final third of season Observer Staff Report Over the long winter break, the Belles warmed up, as they headed down to A rizona for their annual training trip. The Belles traveled to Florida for the previous f ive years, but this year Belles coach Mark Benishek took the team to A rizona State University for a change of scenery. The main focus of the trip was to train for the Belles’ upcoming conference meets and included team conditioning once in the morning and once in the evening, both in and out of the pool. But Saint Mary’s also managed to get in some competition. While in A rizona, the Belles competed in the Citrus Classic on Dec. 30. They took fourth place behind Division II Gannon University (494), Division III Gustavus Adolphus College (491), and Division III University of Ottawa (388) and they defeated Division III Hamline Univer-
sity (145). Leading the Belles was senior Audrey Dalrymple, who took f irst place in the 400-meter individual medley with a time of 5:02.24. Dalrymple also took seventh in the 100-meter breaststroke with a time of 1:15.66. A nother Belle who turned in a strong individual performance at the meet was senior Megan Price, who f inished in sixth place in the 200-meter and the 500-meter freestyle with times of 2:06.65 and 5:43.72, respectively. Rounding out the individual accolades was freshman A nna Nolan, who garnered an eighth place f inish in the 100-meter backstroke with a time of 1:08.02. The Belles 400-meter freestyle relay team, consisting of Sarah Thompson, Liz Palmer, Julianne Divine and Price, took fourth place. Their collective time was 4:07.97. The Belles will return to conference action against Olivet in Olivet, Mich. at 6 p.m. Friday.
After a month-long break, Notre Dame opened 2012 with a strong showing as the Irish wracked up four first place finishes at the Bob Eubanks Open in Allendale, Mich. over the weekend. The meet, hosted by Grand Valley State, pitted the Irish against fellow Big East opponent South Florida, Michigan State and a variety of Division III schools, providing a strong test for Notre Dame in their first meet since Dec. 2. The men’s team led the charge for the Irish, turning in first place finishes in the 400-meter, 600-meter and 4x400-meter relay. Sophomore sprinter Patrick Feeny took first place in the 400-meter, narrowly edging out junior sprinter Brendan Dougherty. Freshman sprinter Chris Geisting placed first in the 600-meter, while the team of senior sprinter Mitch Lorenz, Feeny, Dougherty and Geisting won the 4x400-meter relay. In a day filled with strong performances, Geisting’s showing in the 600-meter stood out. Competing in the 600-meter event for the first time in his career, Geisting finished the race in a time of 1:19.12, tying the meet’s record for the event. “This meet will be fantastic for [Geisting’s] confidence,” Irish coach Joe Piane said. “He’s been running very well, as he also has the best time in the Big East in the 400-meter, and I anticipate him having a terrific year.” On the women’s side, the Irish dominated the pentathlon, with Notre Dame runners taking the top four spots in the event. Senior Maddie Buttinger placed first in
GRANT TOBIN/The Observer
Irish senior Maddie Buttinger competes during the Blue & Gold Meet on Dec. 2. Buttinger won the high jump at the event. the race, followed by freshman Carly Loeffel in second, freshman Fiona Paladino in third and sophomore Meghan Moore in fourth. Buttinger racked up a total of 3874 points in the multi-event competition. The women’s team also had top three finishers in several other events. Irish sprinters in particular enjoyed success, as sophomore Michelle Brown placed third in the 400-meter, senior Natalie Geiger placed third in the 600-meter and the 4x400-meter relay team of Brown, Geiger and freshmen Amber Lalla and Kalia Barber placed second. Barber, who competed in three different events, also turned in a second place finish in the long jump. Overall, Piane said he views the meet as a good start to what he hopes will be a solid 2012 for the team. “It was really the first meet outside of what we did in December, so it was a good opportunity to get 40 or 45 people started,” Piane said. “We’re not exactly where we
need to be yet, but it was a good start.” Piane did address his squad’s need for consistency as the season moves forward. “I would say that we need to work on our consistency,” Piane said. “We can have good performances, but if we’re not consistent across the board, we won’t get anywhere.” The Irish will stay in South Bend this weekend to host the Notre Dame Invitational, a meet that will include Big East opponents South Florida and DePaul as well as Michigan State. “This weekend, we look forward to getting more people qualified for the Big East and improving our rankings in the Big East,” Piane said. “It should be a very good meet against some tough teams.” The squad will be back in action at the Notre Dame Invitational at the Loftus Center on Saturday. Contact Brian Hartnett at bhartnet@nd.edu
The Observer u Sports
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
ndsmcobserver.com | page 17
Men’s Swimming
Irish take down Northwestern, 157-143 By JONATH AN WAR R EN Sports Writer
A fter returning from a training trip in Puerto Rico at 4 a.m. Friday morning, the Irish wasted no time getting back to business, defeating Northwestern 157-143 Saturday for the second consecutive season. The Irish (5-3) have now claimed two in a row over the Wildcats, who had prev iously won 10 straight beg inning inw the 1990-91 season. “That w in was very important for us,” Irish coach Tim Welsh said. “They are a team we’ve competed against for a while. A fter how hard we trained during break, it was a validation of our training.” Welsh said he is happy w ith the improvement he saw after the w inter training period, especially by the divers.
“We had prog ress across the board and at all distances,” Welsh said. “The divers dove stronger and more consistently than they had before this season.” The div ing team swept both the 1-meter and 3-meter events. Freshman Michael K reft won both events w ith scores of 322.5 and 364.43 respectively. Junior Ryan Koter and freshman Nick Nemetz followed, trading second and third places in the two events. “It is remarkable for two freshman in K reft and Nemetz to come in and perform that consistently,” Welsh said. “Ryan Koter is def initely someone who has improved and cleaned up all his dives in the last month.” Adding to the v ictory by the divers, junior Kev in Overholt won the 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle
and participated in the w inning 400-yard freestyle relay. “Kev in performed phenomenally,” Welsh said. “He has had some shoulder injury issues, but gave us his most complete meet of the year Saturday.” Sophomore Frank Dyer continues to be a model of consistency for the Irish, tak ing f irst in the 500-yard freestyle and 200-yard freestyle, while aiding the 400yard freestyle relay team to a w in as well. “Frank has been Mr. Consistency for us,” Welsh said. “He trains well, races well and continues to be a team player. He keeps mak ing us proud, and we continue to have high hopes for him.” Welsh was especially impressed by his team’s performance considering the quick turnaround the team
faced coming home from Puerto Rico, where the team was training over break. The Irish took f irst in the eight-team Copa Coqui tournament, behind f irst-place f inishes by Dyer (100-yard freestyle), Overholt (50yard freestyle), freshman Cameron Miller (100-yard breaststroke) and senior Petar Petrov ic (100-yard backstroke). “We were tired when we got back,” Welsh said. “We def initely were not fully rested. It is a mark of a team that’s going to be good when they can perform well when conditions are not ideal.” The Irish look to notch their third v ictory in a row when Big Ten foe Michigan State comes to Rolf ’s Aquatic Center on Saturday. Contact Jonathan Warren at jwarren3 @nd.edu
McGraw continued from page 20 fense start to f low. We shot the ball well.” The No. 2 Irish sport a 15-game winning streak, complimented by a perfect record in the Big East. Notre Dame’s 76-point lead tied both the third largest margin of victory in program history and the largest in Big East play. “It is so easy to play with these girls because everyone wants the ball,” junior guard Skylar Diggins said. “We’ve got guards that can score and posts that will go to the basket. It’s them too, and I’m just f inding them right now.” The Irish shot 69.4 percent from the f ield and 52.9 percent from behind the three-point line. Notre Dame’s 48 baskets scored were not only a program high but also a Big East record for regular season play. “I thought it was their shooting that gave us the most trouble,” Pittsburgh coach Agnus Berenato said. “They didn’t miss tonight.” Achonwa, Diggins and six other Irish players left the court in double f igures, which ties the program record. “I was really pleased with the bench. [Freshman forward] Markisha [Wright] and [ junior guard] Kaila Turner in particular played well, as did [freshman guard] Whitney Holloway,” McGraw said. “I felt that everyone that came in contributed in some way, and we kept the intensity up.” Notre Dame’s 33 assists against the Panthers became its new season high. The Irish had nine turnovers. The Panthers (9-11) came to South Bend already facing trouble in a few different areas of the game. Their team is the youngest squad in Division I women’s basketball, made up of freshmen and two redshirted sophomores. The Panthers have yet to form a solid starting lineup, as they’ve sent six different groups of f ive onto the court to start this season. The Pittsburgh roster is deeply hurting from freshman forward Cora McManus‘s shoulder injury against DePaul, which allegedly ended her season. Pittsburgh is still searching for a win in the Big East, though they came close in their last contest against DePaul, which they dropped 86-83 on Saturday. Diggins said it is important to stay humble, regardless of the success they found against Pittsburgh and with the season as a whole. “We have to keep the focus up and try not to get too high,” Diggins said. “We take it one opponent at a time and just try to get better each day in practice.” The Irish will return to action against Villanova at home at 1 p.m. Saturday. Contact Molly Sammon at msammon@nd.edu
The Observer u Sports
page 18 | ndsmcobserver.com
Swarbrick continued from page 20 tem considered inevitable. “I think there’s a likelihood that something about the format of postseason will change in the next year,” Swarbrick said. “Some people … [express] a view that a plus-one [is] inevitable. I don’t necessarily share that view. It may be, and that could be a result, but I think there are a host of things on a spectrum from sort of a return to a free-market approach where the bowls and schools and conferences do their own thing, to a plusone. “There’s a spectrum of possibilities from one end to the other.”
The ‘ND Network’ grows
In May, Swarbrick suggested to The Observer that Notre Dame had begun exploring a new form of digital network, distributed via the Internet instead of cable companies. Less than a year later, Swarbrick said significant progress had been made toward that goal. “[We’ve added] significant staffing to help begin to deliver on that potential, we’ll be dedicating some space in the Joyce Center where the old varsity shop was … to that purpose, and we’re in discussions with Comcast-NBC about how to expand our capabilities,” Swarbrick said. “People have seen it manifested in the amount of digital programming that’s been produced in the past six months, especially in this football season with the behind-the-scenes elements and the exclusive content that we’ve been able to produce.” As Notre Dame’s multimedia reach grows, it seems more and more clear that Notre Dame is not trying to build anything resembling a traditional 24-hour cable network — and that there may not even be an official launch date. “You’ll never f lip a switch and have a network,” Swarbrick said. “This is about producing a lot more digital
content across the University — not just athletics — managing that digital content and distributing it broadly. “So it ref lects a fundamental difference about Notre Dame. We don’t have a geographic area to serve. We have to serve a much broader area, so our approach has to be different than the Big Ten Network or the Longhorn Network. It’s fundamentally different in that it won’t be a network owned by us and distributed by third parties —it’ll be content owned by us and distributed by third parties.”
Widespread success
Though the football team finished the season with the same 8-5 record it produced in 2010, coach Brian Kelly received a two-year contract extension in January. A month before announcing that extension, Swarbrick said he was very pleased with the progress Kelly had made throughout two years on the job. “I’m thrilled with where the program is because what we were focused on when we made a transition were certain program elements: the foundational elements you have to have,” Swarbrick said. “We’ve been very good as the years have gone on in coach Kelly’s first two years in sort of building the season, and that ref lects all of those things.” Swarbrick said that Notre Dame’s athletic success goes far beyond the football program, however. From women’s basketball to hockey to cross country, the non-marquee sports have continued to succeed. “Those programs continue to perform at such a high level,” Swarbrick said. “The quality of the student-athletes is great, so [I’m] very pleased with the fall … I could go on all day. I mean, we’ve really had a lot of good things going on.” Read more of The Observer’s end-of-semester interview with Jack Swarbrick at ndsmcobserver.com Contact Allan Joseph at ajoseph2@nd.edu
Observer File Photo
Notre Dame Director of Athletics Jack Swarbrick recently sat down with The Observer to discuss the current state of Irish athletics.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
The Observer u Today
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Crossword
Will Shortz
Clammy Handshake
The London Express
JOE mILLEr and kelly lynch
ndsmcobserver.com | page 19
Horoscope
Jumble
Eugenia Last
Henry Arnold Mike Argirion
ALEX GRISWOLD and LEE HAGGENJOS
Make checks payable to and mail to:
Published Monday through Friday, The Observer is a vital source of information on people and events in the Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s Community. Join the more than 13,000 readers who have found The Observer an indispensable link to the two campuses. Please complete the accompanying form and mail it today to receive The Observer in your home.
Enclosed is $130 for one academic year
Enclosed is $75 for one semester
The Observer P.O. Box 779 Notre Dame, IN 46556
Name ____________________________________________________ Address __________________________________________________
City ____________________ State___________ Zip______________
The Observer | ndsmcobserver.com
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
page 20
Observer Exclusive
Swarbrick pleased with conference realignment, athletic success By ALLAN JOSEPH Sports Editor
While the fall semester of 2011 was notable for the first home night football game in 21 years, the beginning of a potentially historic women’s basketball season and the opening of the brand-new Compton Family Ice Arena, many Notre Dame fans will re-
member it most for one reason: con fere n c e See Also rea l ig nm e n t . Full transcript of The M o s t Observer’s sit down relevant with Swarbrick to Notre Dame, ndsmcobserver.com the Big East seemed to be on the verge of collapsing before adding
Houston, Central Florida and Southern Methodist University in all sports and two more schools in football to ensure stability. Notre Dame Director of Athletics Jack Swarbrick told The Observer in a sitdown interview in December that not only was Notre Dame pleased with the moves, but that it appeared to be the last of major
conference realignment. “With the Big East having solidified itself through these recent moves, I think among the BCS conferences it’ll be pretty stable,” Swarbrick said. “We’re really happy that the Big East, which has been a great home to us, was able to make the moves it made and has announced. “We think that’s good for
ND Women’s Basketball
Irish start year with two wins
ND’s 120 points set team’s home record By MOLLY SAMMON Sports Writer
see McGRAW/page 17
see SWARBRICK/page 18
Men’s Tennis
Shooting spree
When Irish sophomore forward Natalie Achonwa hit a three-pointer with 36 seconds left on the clock Tuesday, she wrapped up the scoring rally that was Notre Dame’s 120-44 win over Pittsburgh at the Purcell Pavilion. Notre Dame’s 120 points broke the program’s record for most points scored at home and marked the f irst time the Irish (18-1) have ever scored over 100 points twice in the same season. Notre Dame’s 120 points were just eight shy of the all-time record for most points scored in a Big East game. “It’s going to be hard for even me to f ind something to complain about,” Irish coach Muffet McGraw said. “It was a great night to see the of
the Big East and at this point we’re just focused on that issue — the Big East’s viability.” After a football season rife with controversy over the format of the postseason, Swarbrick suggested change was afoot regarding the Bowl Championship Series — but maybe not the expanded sys
By SAM GANS Sports Writer
KIRBY McKENNA/The Observer
Irish freshman guard Whitney Holloway drives to the basket during Notre Dame’s 120-44 win over Pittsburgh on Tuesday. The 120 points were the most the program has ever scored at home.
Hockey
The No. 28 Irish got their 2012 season off to a fast start with a pair of 7-0 victories Sunday over Illinois State and Toledo at the Eck Tennis Pavilion. Senior Casey Watt and sophomore Greg Andrews each contributed to four match wins for Notre Dame (2-0) on the weekend to help propel the Irish past the Redbirds (1-1) and Rockets (2-2). The duo won two doubles matches together and each was victorious in both of their singles matches. Junior Blas Moros and sophomore Wyatt McCoy also won two singles matches Sunday. The strong play throughout the lineup was an encouraging sign to Irish coach Bobby Bayliss. “I think we put out a lineup
see BAYLISS/page 15
Men’s Basketball
Notre Dame marred by Rutgers loss continues road woes recent inconsistent play By ANDREW GASTELUM Sports Writer
By JACK HEFFERON Sports Writer
The No. 3 Irish got back in action with some fireworks on New Year’s Eve in a win over Boston University, but after a home-and-home sweep at the hands of No. 11/10 Western Michigan, they found themselves with more work to do in 2012. Following its win over Ferris State on Dec. 10, Notre Dame (138-3, 8-5-3 CCHA) took a three-week break from competition while the team took final exams and enjoyed the holidays. They returned to the ice on New Year’s Eve to dismantle the Terriers, 5-2, and followed that performance up with a 2-1 victory in an exhibition against the Russian Red Stars. A few days after that performance though, the entire program reeled at news of the passing of Charles “Lefty” Smith, the patriarch of Notre Dame hockey. Smith,
the program’s founder and first head coach, had retired just three days earlier after 44 years of involvement with Notre Dame athletics. Despite the shock, the Irish traveled to Minnesota as scheduled later in the week for a showdown with the top-five ranked Gophers. After the crowd of 10,242 observed a moment of silence for the late Notre Dame coach, they saw the Irish turn in an inspired performance and hold on for a 4-3 win. “We were really excited obviously after playing [Boston University] well at home and going to Minnesota and playing against a really good hockey team there,” Irish coach Jeff Jackson said. “I think we were playing really well coming out of that Minnesota game, and that was a huge step for us.” Following that trio of noncon
For the Irish, there really is no place like home. Notre Dame (11-8, 3-3 Big East) once again struggled to find an offensive balance on the road in a 65-58 loss to Rutgers, falling to 1-7 in games away from Purcell Pavilion. Notre Dame’s only road win came in a double-overtime thriller against Louisville on Jan. 7. “Rutgers made big shots at key times,” Irish coach Mike Brey said in a postgame interview with und.com. “I loved how we battled, but they made plays when they had to. “They made the little plays to win and we made those same plays at Louisville. We couldn’t make enough of them tonight and
see JACKSON/page 14
see BREY/page 14
PAT COVENEY/The Observer
Sophomore guard Eric Atkins controls the ball during a 67-53 loss to Connecticut on Saturday. The Irish have lost two games in a row.